“No problem. I’ll just drink my coffee and we’ll have some male bonding time.” He smiled up at her.
They left the office, and he took a sip of coffee then put the cup back on the desk. The baby in his arms took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Dave adjusted his hold so the little guy was cradled just right, then slid down in the chair a little so that his head rested against the padded back and his legs stretched out comfortably. He closed his eyes. He’d missed these first moments with his daughter and he could never get them back. But he didn’t regret the choices he’d made since. It had meant giving up being a SEAL, but it also meant being part of his daughter’s life as she grew up, and that was more important.
*
Charlie came back for the baby and stopped in the doorway to her office, her heart catching at the sight before her.
The baby was lying on Dave’s wide chest, still sound asleep, while Dave’s rough hands held him snug and safe. A soft snore broke the silence. Dave had fallen asleep too, and it was as sweet a picture as she’d ever seen.
“Dave,” she said softly, stepping into the room. He never moved, not a muscle, and she smiled to herself. He was really out. “Dave,” she repeated, louder this time, and he snuffled before opening his eyes slowly.
“I fell asleep.”
“You did.”
“He’s quite the little furnace, isn’t he?”
She shrugged. “He didn’t exactly settle that well for me.”
And there it was. The slow, sexy, slightly smug smile.
“Is it time?”
She nodded, wondering if she was crazy to be taking on this new responsibility. She’d been up all night, been at her wit’s end trying to soothe the child, been peed on when she didn’t get the diaper on fast enough, and was tired and still hungry. And yet the thought of the tiny bundle going somewhere else felt so wrong. Most of the time she was able to put her desire for a family of her own on the back-burner. Whether it was her ticking clock or what, that talent was getting more and more difficult lately. To her surprise, she’d found herself offering to care for the infant while the police investigated the case.
“Yeah, it’s time to get this little man settled.” Charlie moved closer.
“If the parents are local, it shouldn’t be too hard to find out if he has family. How many baby boys could have been born in the last few weeks, anyway?” Dave asked on a yawn, shifting the baby as he sat up.
Of course, if the family wasn’t local, that was a whole other thing. Still, it was a good starting place.
“Here, let me take him.” She slid her hands under the warm little body and lifted. His eyes opened as she moved him into her arms, staring at her without really seeing, not crying, but just taking a few moments to wake up from his comfortable nap.
Marissa was waiting with a car seat and warm blanket and strapped him in securely with competent hands. Charlie went forward and put the little cap back on his head. “He needs to keep warm,” she murmured. “It’s cold out today.”
“Are you sure you have everything you need?” Marissa smiled at her. “It’s a big thing you’re doing.”
“I’ll go right from here to the drugstore.”
“If there’s any problem, anything at all, you’ll call, won’t you? There’s lots of support available. And I’m here day or night.”
Dave stepped forward. “What? I thought you were taking the baby with you?”
Marissa slid a file into her case. “Dr. Yang is going to watch our little one for a few days. Just temporarily, of course.” She smiled. “She’s done such great work with our foster care support group. I have complete confidence in her.”
Charlie looked over at him, wishing she had the same confidence in herself but determined to do the right thing. “His weight’s a little low, and monitoring his health makes sense right now. Hopefully it’s just a case of nutrition and we can get him back on track.”
“And we have fewer foster families available every day,” Marissa added. “Ideally, we’ll find a family member quickly who can be awarded temporary custody, and if not, then once his weight is up, this little guy will be settled with a good family. Well, I’ll be on my way, and let you get home and settled. I’ll talk to you soon, Charlie.”
She was gone in a gust of wind and left the two of them standing there. Charlie took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. For better or worse, she was temporarily in charge of an infant boy.
Dave came closer and put his hands on her upper arms. She looked up, surprised to find his eyes filled with understanding.
“Feeling overwhelmed?” he asked simply.
“A little,” she admitted. “I’m probably just tired. And even though he was fussy, he really is a sweetie. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Dave grinned and squeezed her arms. “Well, he’s your little Baby Jesus, after all. Kind of difficult to harden your heart to that.”